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Quick HitAdam DosterFriday April 9th, 2010, 5:18pm

A Comprehensive Carp Solution

The Illinois Chamber of Commerce-commissioned study published earlier this week estimated the Chicago region would
lose $4.7 billion in economic activity over the next two decades if
navigational shipping locks are closed to prevent the invasion of Asian
carp into the Great Lakes. There's just one problem, according to Thom Cmar of the Natural Resources Defense Fund: no one is actually proposing that the locks be closed. Rather, environmentalists support a solution involving "hydrological separation." More from his post:

Hydrological separation is not the same
thing as closing the locks or closing the canal system. Under this
alternative, barriers would be constructed strategically in the Chicago
waterway system to completely eliminate any movement of water between
the two ecosystems that might allow invasive organisms to move with
it. If done right, hydrological separation will involve smart,
well-planned investments that will establish new, more sustainable
infrastructure in the Chicago waterway system.

A hat-tip to Curtis Black, who nicely summarized the post over at Newstips, writing that the choice in this debate is "between a kind of willful, blind resistance and responsible, comprehensive planning." Those wanting to learn more about the issue should check out our recent Asian carp primer.